


Moving On

by Westwinger23



Category: The West Wing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-20
Updated: 2017-07-20
Packaged: 2018-12-04 15:35:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11558184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Westwinger23/pseuds/Westwinger23





	Moving On

“Ma’am. Excuse me, ma’am.”

CJ jolted awake banging her knees on the tray table in front of her. She stared up into the face of a frustrated looking stewardess. 

“You need to put your seatback into the upright position and prepare for landing,” she huffed. 

“Of course,” CJ apologized and pressed the button, moving her seat about two inches up—just enough to make her even more uncomfortable. She looks out the window at the LA skyline, staring longingly out into the distance. She begins to drum her fingers on the armrest nervously. Her seatmate glances over, and she quickly stops. As the plane begins its final descent, CJ grips the armrest, releasing only when the fasten seatbelt sign finally clicks off. While the rest of the people in the cabin have already stood up and started pulling their bags out of the overhead bins, CJ stares at her cell phone. She looks at the black screen, starts to turn it on, but stops and drops it back into her bag. 

 

CJ wanders through baggage claim at LAX looking for the exit when she spots Danny Concanon standing at the bottom of the escalator holding a large Starbucks coffee. He sees her and flashes one of his trademark grins. 

She gets off the escalator and moves to greet him away from the airport bustle. As she hugs him, she breathes in deeply and feels the tension in her shoulders begin to ease. He kisses her on the cheek, takes her carry on bags, and hands her the coffee. 

CJ smiles. “Danny, I told you I could just take a taxi to the apartment.” 

Danny walks quickly toward the car. “I figured you’d be in no shape to do it after the flight. How are you feeling?” 

CJ shifts slightly, shading her eyes from the sun, “like I’ve been hit by a truck.” 

Danny puts the bags in the trunk and slides into the driver’s seat of his black prius. “Yeah well eight years of adrenaline and lack of sleep followed by airport wine and some Ambien will do that to ya.” 

CJ sank into the passenger seat, stretching her legs out in front of her. As they drove off down the road, she looked over at Danny watching his face as he concentrated on driving and his hair as the California breeze blew through it. She started to feel her eyes flutter closed. 

 

CJ awoke to Danny lighting brushing the side of her face with his hand. “CJ, we’re home.” 

“Home?” CJ mumbled as she opened her eyes. 

Danny grinned, “well, home for the foreseeable future.” Danny opened the car door, got out and went around to start unloading her bags from the trunk. 

CJ glanced nervously up at the house. “Well, here goes nothing…”

 

She walked into Sam’s condo and glanced around—one bedroom, a small office, a kitchen with a small breakfast nook, and a sunken living room. Tiny, nowhere to get away when you’re sharing with another person. And don’t get her wrong, it’s not that she wants to get away from Danny—god he has been amazing, being loving and caring but also not overbearing—but she’s spent so much of her life alone that she’s not sure how this “all in” thing is going to work. 

Danny called from the kitchen, “not sure if you want to get settled, but I figured you would be a little hungry, so I made a snack.” 

She walked into the kitchen and saw Danny placing down two beer bottles next to a bowl of goldfish crackers. 

‘Ok, this can work,’ she thought to herself. 

 

CJ went into the bedroom to unpack her bags. She noticed Danny’s items already sprawled around the room. He had his Notre Dame shirt tossed across the chair, a notepad, pen, and book on modern elections on the nightstand, and his slippers beside the bed. 

CJ emerged from the bedroom in a black one piece bathing suit. She called for Danny, but he didn’t answer. On the kitchen counter, she found a pool towel and a note that read “CJ—went to pick up some food. Be back soon. XOXO Fishboy.”

She walked outside and stared at the pool and the surrounding landscape. The last time she had been by a California pool was over 9 years ago when she got fired, came home to Toby sitting on the patio and fell in the pool. How much had changed since then, and yet it still felt like just yesterday. But what would happen when her DC life became just another set of memories? Could she handle the changes? Well, she’d have to. 

She dove into the pool, letting the water wash over her as she swam laps back and forth across the pool. Water really was cleansing. She felt reinvigorated and ready to face her new life outside of Washington and the White House. 

 

CJ turned off the shower, wrapped her hair in a towel and came into the bedroom. She heard Danny in the kitchen slamming cabinets.  
She dressed quickly, throwing on a pair of shorts and a Berkeley tshirt. The night was hot for a California January, but she wanted to keep the windows open and breathe in the fresh ocean air. 

Walking out into the kitchen, she saw bags of In-N-Out Burger laid out before her. She grabbed one of the open beers off the counter and took a seat. 

She watched Danny finish arranging the tray of food. “I thought we’d eat out on the patio since it’s such a nice night.” 

 

Out on the patio, CJ took a big bite of her burger. “Wow, with culinary skills like this, how’d you stay single for so long.” 

Danny laughed, “I’ll have you know, I’m a great cook. I already got things for tomorrow, but according to me ‘how to be an LA native guide’ that Josh sent me, I thought I would pick up some In-n-out tonight. Apparently it’s a rule and if you don’t get In-n-out within twenty four hours of being back in California, they kick you out.” 

CJ’s eyes gleamed. “Is that so? Well, we never did that on any of our trips out here with President Bartlet.” 

Danny looked at her, “Yeah? And how did those work out for you?”

CJ paused, “Well, I got pushed in the pool at a fundraising dinner, we arrived late and caused traffic jams and missed family trips to Disney, ensuring a terrible news cycle and Toby had to stand on a beach. With people and sand. Which meant, I had to hear about Toby standing on a beach for about a week.” 

Danny winked at her, “Let’s hope this goes better.” 

CJ picks at her fries. “I missed you when you went out earlier.”

Danny gently grabbed her free hand, waiting until she looked him in the eyes. “I thought you might like some time on your own to adjust to…the time change—maybe take a nap, or go for a swim, or a quick shower. I know I always like to shower after a flight and wash the exhaustion away.”

CJ continued to stare into his eyes, a small smirk appearing. “Thank you.” After a long silence, she broke the tension, “My swim and shower were lovely.” 

Danny followed her lead, lightening the tone. “See? Here I am trying to be a nice guy and you go conjuring up those images for me.” 

CJ joked back, “If you play your cards right, they don’t just have to be imaginary images.”

 

CJ emerged from the bathroom to see Danny sitting in bed writing furiously on his notepad, glasses perched on the edge of his nose. 

“What’re you working on?” 

“Just jotting down some story ideas for my book editor.” 

“You meeting with him tomorrow?” 

Danny put the pad down and turned toward her, “Friday. Tomorrow’s just me and you. Whatever you want to do!” 

CJ climbed into bed, snuggling against his chest, “Anything?” 

Danny clicks off the light, engulfing the room in darkness. He replies, “Anything.” 

She runs her hand gently down his arm, making lazy circles as she goes. “I’d like us to go look at homes.” 

Danny stops rubbing her back. “Really? You don’t want to rest?” 

She looks up at him sheepishly, “I’m ready for us to really start our new lives together. In a home of our own. Where we can build a family.” 

Danny leans down and gives her a long kiss. CJ responds enthusiastically and adds some tongue to the mix. 

They pause for air. “Danny?”

“Yes, CJ?” 

“Just because this isn’t our home doesn’t mean we can’t christen it as well.”

“Yes, CJ.” He flips on top of her, kissing her neck.


End file.
